SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
Big Girl is Ready to Ride!!
https://youtu.be/ZCDmnEwOJSs Kaya has been diligently working through the groundwork steps to get Sienna prepared for a rider. Here is what she had to say about this experience: “Sienna is, without a doubt, one of the smartest horses I have ever worked with. Having just been working with her for a little over a month, I’ve gotten to see some awesome changes, but watching videos and hearing…
Training Update and New Video: Justin
Justin has been a joy to work with these last few months at SAFE. He has steadily improved with each ride and is more and more comfortable with a rider. We are working on loosening him up and helping him work without getting tight or braced. He’s had the most difficulty shaping up to the left but even that has had some big changes. Volunteer Alessia has been helping us create new videos of the…
Health Update: Remy
Reports on Remy’s recovery from his sore back have been good but unfortunately not great. He’s greatly improved with time off and with a trial of Bute and then Equioxx but he’s still not at 100%. Nick said that he would start the week off ok but the day after every ride, Remy would seem less and less willing to work. He continued to be well behaved and a gentle fellow to work around. With the…
Training Update: Amira
Amira came to SAFE in November 2018. She was a little underweight and had not seen a vet or farrier in some time. She had a very bad case of thrush and a few spots of rain rot. After a few weeks of medical treatment, she was up to date with her farrier, vaccines, and dental care and ready to start work. We took things slowly, building muscle and strengthening her in preparation for riding. We…
Events Recap 2018
It costs a great deal of money to run an organization like SAFE, and some people might be surprised to know that we receive no funding whatsoever from government at any level. We rely on public donations to pay the bills and keep the lights on. Fundraising can take many forms, and here at SAFE, we have several revenue streams to keep cash flowing. One of these is special events. SAFE has two…
February Volunteers of the Month: Lori Page and Kaya Mead
Lori Page: Reliable, Kind, Friday PM Volunteer! February is about love, and we LOVE our volunteers. We love that our volunteers love each other, and we really LOVE that our volunteers love the horses. Lori Page is someone who falls into all of those categories, she loves SAFE, she loves her fellow volunteers and she LOVES the horses. Her very first memories are of horses when she was 5 or 6…
Introducing Pogo
We have a new horse to introduce…a little horse…his name is Pogo and today he is a pony stallion, but that will change this Friday when Dr Fleck arrives to transform him into a happy gelding. Pogo was surrendered to SAFE by his owners who were not able to keep him or successfully rehome him as a stallion. SAFE had originally arranged for Pogo to be gelded at home, but the vet was concerned…
Board of Directors Recap 2018
The 2018 SAFE Board of Directors is an exceptional group of people who volunteer their skills, time, and expertise to making SAFE a strong and vital nonprofit organization. Our Board of Directors is entrusted with three key responsibilities for SAFE: advocacy, fundraising, and strategic governance. Over the past four years, the many individuals who served on the SAFE Board were instrumental in…
Freedom Based Training with Angel
My name is Mona Sterling and I’m a volunteer at SAFE. One of the things I do is work with SAFE’s companion horses. Some of these horses are forever companion horses due to age or illness and others will move into being riding horses. My work is not about perfecting groundwork (though I do insist on good manners when I am grooming or leading them) but is about instilling confidence and trust in…
2018 Volunteer of the Year: Candace Carlson
When it comes to helping SAFE succeed, there are a lot of different ways that volunteers can make a difference. Most of our wonderful volunteers start out by devoting one morning or afternoon a week to their favorite horse rescue, and their dedication to our horses ensures that everyone is well fed and well cared for. For some people, that weekly “horse fix” is enough, but for others, it’s the…
Checking in With Dottie and Piper
Dottie and Piper had their routine visit from our trimmer, Daphne, last week. Piper is growing up fast! She tries to pull all the typical baby tricks in the book while she’s getting her hooves trimmed, just to see if we’re serious that she really does need to stand still and get her toes done like a big girl. After about 10 minutes of conversation about it, Daphne had Piper calm and willing to…
Welcome Back, Marta
At the end of December, Marta had a dental with Dr. Fray of Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital. Marta has been dropping weight lately, and an oral exam revealed why. Once she was sedated, Dr. Fray found the beginning signs of Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH). EOTRH is a painful dental disease that can occur in older horses. The disease is progressive and has no cure…
Volunteer Recap 2018
Most nonprofits rely on the strength of their volunteer program to succeed, and SAFE is no exception. We’ve been building a volunteer program for the past 10 years, and it’s something we’re super proud of. But the work never stops, and there’s never a lack of things to do around the farm or in the office, so it’s not often we can slow down and take a look at what we’ve got. Fortunately, we keep…
Adoptions Recap 2018
There are so many things we want for our horses…good health, comfort, confidence…the very best care…friendships, positive experiences, carrots. But most of all, what we want to give them is a home where they can live their lives in safety and comfort. Adoption is the ultimate goal for every horse who comes to SAFE, and we work hard to prepare them to make the most of the opportunities they will…
Outreach Recap 2018
2018 was another big year for SAFE’s Community Outreach Program. The Outreach Program enables us to extend services to horse owners who need short term assistance to get through tough times. Whether it’s hay, vet care, gelding surgery, or even just advice, our Community Outreach volunteers work to find a solution that allows horses to stay with their owners and stay out of rescue. The Outreach…
Star has been adopted!
We are excited to share that Star has been adopted by Tammy and family. Their pets include a miniature rescue horse named Elliot and two unlikely herd mates: a goose and a duck! Before leaving SAFE, Star had adapted well to a new environment with consistency and fairness from his human handlers. We suspect Star may be a late cut stallion, and though healthy, his age and an old injury in his left…
Bowie has been adopted!
Our handsome fellow has found a home! Bowie has been adopted by Pat, and it’s clear he’s already enjoying the hair care regimen his luxuriant mane requires. Because he was gelded late in life, Bowie is not a beginner’s mount, but with the right energy from his handler he’s a gentleman on the ground and easily managed under saddle. That’s why we’re so excited he found Pat. Her vast horse…
Introducing Gunnar
We have a new horse joining our herd this week. Gunnar is an 11 year old stallion who was surrendered to SAFE through our Community Outreach Program after his owner was no longer able to care for him. He’s a very nice horse, gentle and gentlemanly, and his life is about to change in a big way after he’s transformed into a happy gelding. However, he is not currently in good enough…
Presents for Lacey!
We have some amazing volunteers at SAFE and the connections they have with the horse are inspiring. Kaya has been dedicated to helping Lacey through some trouble and giving her the attention and miles she needs to find a home. This Christmas, Kaya had something extra special for Lacey: “Merry Christmas to Lacey! This sweet pony really deserved some toys this year. She loves nuzzling soft things…
January Volunteers of the Month: Leigh Mackey and Phoebe Trocano
Our amazing corps of volunteers has grown and there aren’t nearly enough months in the year to recognize all of their hard work. So in 2019, we will be spotlighting two tremendous volunteers per month in an attempt to show our gratitude for all they do to make SAFE successful. This month we are pleased to honor shift-lead all-star, Leigh Mackey and Leigh Mackey, Shift-Lead All-Star Leigh has…
2018 Q4 Impact Statement
New Horses Birth Date: November 1, 2018 Rae (born to rescued mare Mina) Birth Date: November 3, 2018 Nova (born to rescued mare Luna) Intake Date: November 13, 2018 Amira (owner surrender) Placed Horses Orion Roscoe Ben Bowie Timmie Star Mason
Rescue Outside the Box
Most of the rescue work that SAFE does is fairly straightforward. A horse, facing neglect or abuse, is taken in, rehabilitated and retrained, then we find it a new home. The circumstances of neglect may vary, but the basic storyline is the same. In 2018, we found ourselves changing the script in two unusual situations. The Mayday Horses rescue effort was one such case. It involved a group of 21…
The more things change…
Another visit with Pippi and Asha at their foster home: look at our ever-changing baby!
Nashville Dec 2018
Training Video and Update: Justin
Justin did very well while in training for 60 days with our friend Ben Hannan. He has a good personality and is easy to work with, both on the ground and in the saddle. His only issue is around cinching. Nothing too difficult but he will look back and try to nip at the person cinching up. He will also move around a bit while the cinch is being tightened. It is something pretty ingrained in him…
Video Update: Stella
https://youtu.be/oD9HrID0gzc
Piper and Dottie go to Foster
Dottie Belle and Piper have settled in to their lovely winter foster in Woodinville. They join a darling little farm with dogs, chicken and pigs! Here is a video of Piper meeting the pigs “Ruby” & “Dottie”.
Training and Health Update: Remy
Just before Thanksgiving, Remy had a bit of a setback in his work. Everything had been going smoothly and progressing well. His trainer, Nick Donohue, had reported that he was coming along nicely, was a good citizen in turnout with the herd, and very sweet and gentle on the ground. He might do a bit of ear pinning when asking for the lope but was fine once he was in the gait. That too was…
Adoption Announcement: Ben!
SAFE is so excited to announce that Ben’s adoption to long-time volunteer Lisa G is final! Ben and Lisa have developed an unbelievably strong bond and together have overcome many training obstacles. Ben only had a chance to be a riding horse if someone was willing to take the time and fix the trouble that was deeply rooted in him. Going through this process with Lisa cemented their connection…
Adoption Announcement : Orion!
We knew he was a special boy right from the beginning but we never imagined that this “diamond in the rough” would become such a fantastic riding mount. Orion met Roxanne in his final weeks of training with Nick Donohue at Silver Spade Ranch. He had just completed a little over 60 days of training. Orion was just as Nick had described: athletic, gentle, and uncomplicated to ride. Roxanne had…
